Lock for envelops and other containers



G. DOUTNEY. LOCK FOR ENVELOPS AND OTHER CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6' 1,920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEET$SHEET l- 8 1 '7 5 *3 ITNESSES 5241: @0

A TTOR/VEYS af/dZA-M e, DOUTNEY. I LOCK FOR ENVELOPS AND OTHER CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D-OUTNEY OF BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK.

LOOK FOR ENVELOPS AND-OTHER CONTAINERS.

' Application filed July 6,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, Gnonen DOUTNEY, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and. a resident of the'city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Lock for Envelops and Other Containers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to envelops and containers of all kinds, and particularly to an improved lock therefor which will positively prevent any disengagement of the parts unless either the lock or some part of the container is broken, and has for an object to provide a construction which is easily applied and which is positive in its actions either in a comparatively stiff container or in a flexible container.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a lock which is particularly adapted for envelops in which the locking means are so arranged that they will be out of sight when in an interlocked position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lock for envelops and the like wherein the locking devices are arranged within the envelop. or container with all the parts covered so as to be incapable of being operated by an implement or in any way exteriorly of the container.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper part of an envelop in an open position disclosing an embodiment of the invention applied thereto. v

Fig.2 is a sectional viewthrough the struc? ture shown in Fig. 1 with the parts in a Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but

showing a modified form of locking means in which the tongue is notched into the flap. Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the structure shown in Fi 6 when in a locked position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through Fig. 7 on line 8-8.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but dis- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12 192.1.

1920. Serial No. 394,182.

closing a further modified form of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings an envelop has been illustrated in order to show how the invention is formed and how it may be used to look a container closed. In illustrating the invention on an envelop in the drawing several forms have been disclosed, all of which act in a similar manner for locking the flap of the envelop closed, and all of which are arranged to be easily manipulated and inserted through an opening when being moved toa locked position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates an envelop which is formed substantially in a usual manner and in order that the body of the envelop may not be opened metallic cleats 2, 3 and 41 are arranged at suitable points to clamp the parts together in addition to the usual adhesive provided. The envelop 1 is provided with a flap 5, of any usual or pretongue 8 which tongue may be part of the flap 5 or a member connected therewith, preferably, however, the backsection 9 is formed integral with flap 5 while the front section 10 is of some other material secured in place by an adhesive and also by a metal cleat 11. Arranged between these front and back members are the end sections 12 and 13 of a locking member 14:, which locking member is slightly sov as to come to a rounded point 15 whereby it more readily hooks over the edge of the slot 7 when the tongue 8- is inserted through said slot. From Fig. at it will be noted that a covering of adhesive. is arranged on the back of the tongue 8 and the adhesive matter. 6 extends over the front of the tongue as shown in Fig. 1. y

In operation, after the envelop 1 has received its contents the adhesive covers 6 and 16 are moistened and the tongue 8 slipped into slot 7 until the point 15 snaps over the edge of the slot 7 after which the tongue is withdrawn slightly until the parts assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The flap 5 is then pressed against the body 1 along the portion containing the adhesive 6, and also the body 1 is pressed over that preferably tapered parts, which will show that it has been tampered with. It is, of course, known that adhesive may be loosened by steam or other I means, butthe cleats 2 to 4, cleat 11 and the locking member 14 cannot be disengaged by heat or by any instrument without injuring or mutilating in some manner the envelop. It will be noted that the ends of the cleats 2 and 3 are within the envelop so that these cleats cannot be removed without injuring the envelop, and it will also be noted that member 14 is entirely Within the envelop and therefore cannot be tampered with.

' InFigs. 6, 7 and 8 will be seen a modified form of the invention in which the flap 17 is cut away at 18 whereby the tongue 20 is ina certain sense set into the flap. This tongue is formed in a similar manner to the tongue 8 except that the reinforcing member 10 is comparatively long. The locking member 14 isalso slightly different in construction as it is'bent over at 21 and 22, and the bent over section connected bya cross bar 23, which provides a form of wide hook adapted to hook over part of the envelo adjacent the slot when a slot similar to s ot 7 is used.- However, in this form of the invention a special pocket 24 is provided. This pocket is preferably formed from a single piece of paper or other material and is provided with a body 25 pasted or otherwise secured to the interior surface of the body of the envelop with the lower end of the body adjacent the slot 7 The part of the material below the body 25 is looped or folded so as to produce a socket 26, said socket being flattened and the overlapping flap 27 secured by an adhesive so that a tapering narrow socket will be produced extending from the'slot 7 inwardly substantially parallel with thebody of the envelop.

When the locking member 14 and the tongue 20 are inserted through slot 7, said 1 locking member and tongue will pass automatically into the socket 26 and locking member 14' emerged therefrom so as to be hooked over the lower edge thereofas shown in Fig. 8. Preferably the socket member 26 is made from comparatively stifi paper, though it may be made from other material, but when made from this material it will be somewhat resilient whereby as the locking member 14 is passed therethrough it will give, but as soon as the socket member has been moved to the position shown in Fig. 8 the parts will automatically move back and consequently the locking member 14 cannot be either intentionally or accidentally removed either by an authorized or an unauthorized person.

In Fig. 9 will be seen a modified form of the structure shown in Fig. 6 in which a locking member 14: is formed with resilient arms 28 and 29 merging into hooks 30 and 31 adapted to snap over the opposite edges of the socket 26' when forced into a locked position. As shown in Fig. 7 the hook part of the lock 14 extends inwardly so that if an implement was forced through the slot 7 it could not affect the hook member unless part of the envelop was torn. The same is true of the structure shown in Figs. 1- to 3. In Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the envelop around slot 17 is reinforced by member 32 which may be cloth, paper, or other suitable material held in place by an adhesive. In Fig. 1 the cleats 2 and 3 face inwardly and thereby prevent any removal while the same arrangement is provided in- Fig. 6, though this form of envelop is such that the cleats are covered by the flap 17 which presents an additional safety structure. It will be noted that in all the forms of the invention the metallic clips grip parts I of the hook or locking members so that they cannot bereleased by steaming or in any other way.

What I claim is Asa new article of manufacture, an envelop of the conventional shape, the body having a horizontal slot and provided on its inner face with a pocket open at the bottoin, the closing flap being provided on each side of its center with substantially V-shaped notches, whereby a comparatively long integral and tapering tongue is formed, the tongue being provided with a hook projecting from its end, said hook engaging the pocket over the edges of the bottom thereof when the envelop is sealed by inserting the tongue through the slit and the ocket.

GEORGE DO TNEY. 

